I've been kinda struggling a lot with how I wanted to word this. The last few years I've been working through losing a couple of my favorite people in the wrestling world from Brodie Lee, to Bray Wyatt, and a few of my family members and my neighbor.
And now, announced yesterday, we've lost Akira Toriyama.
This one is stinging a lot more than what I thought it would. Despite me not watching Dragon Ball or Dragon Ball Z fully, as far as I can remember, I still watched a decent bit when I was a kid. It was legit the first anime I've ever watched, and that I can remember.
This man, with Dragon Ball, helped start my love of anime despite me not watching much as a kid. It stuck with me when I grew up until I could watch more and more. Team Four Star and their labor of love with DBZ Abridged brought me back into Dragon Ball Z in my high school years.
I really don't know what else I can say. This is really hitting me hard and it's taking a lot to process it.
Goodbye Mr. Toriyama. Rest well knowing that all your works have impacted so many people in such positive ways around the world. You'll never be forgotten, and your memory will live on.